Study: Cannabis Offers Possible Treatment for High Grade Gliomas

A study published in November 2014 in Molecular Cancer Therapeutics and conducted at St. George’s University of London’s Department of Oncology has found that the use of cannabinoids, specifically delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), may be useful in treating high-grade gliomas, potentially slowing the disease’s progression.

Gliomas are a type of advanced brain cancer that are fast-growing, aggressive, and difficult to treat. Gliomasoccur in the brain and spinal cord and result from the excessive proliferation of abnormal neuroglia, cells of the nervous system that are not directly involved in signaling (as opposed to neurons). Usually, neuroglia work in important, supportive roles to ensure that neurons are communicating properly and efficiently, and there are 3 neuroglia for every 1 neuron in the body. Types of gliomas include astrocytomas (the most frequent type),ependymomas (the most common glioma in children), and oligodendrogliomas.